What is the maximum residential FAR in C2-8A?

10, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.

What is the maximum commercial FAR in C2-8A?

2, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.

Are buildings on these lots taller than average?

Yes: 37% of recorded buildings rise above 6 floors, with a median of 5 stories — a taller profile than most comparably sized designations.

How much of the recent construction here dates from after 2000?

16% of buildings have gone up since 2000, more than the 10% recorded from the 1945-1975 postwar boom.

What does the land-use mix look like for this designation?

Mixed residential-and-commercial parcels dominate at 67%, with commercial-and-office parcels at 13%. Residential lots make up 77% of the total, holding 5,916 recorded homes.

How big are lots carrying this designation?

A median of 3,150 square feet, with a 90th percentile of 14,651 square feet, across roughly 100 tax lots citywide.

Is there recorded room to add floor area on these lots?

Yes: 70% of lots carry recorded floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 5.9 FAR. Neither historic-district nor flood-zone coverage applies — both sit at 0%.

C2-8A Zoning District — New York City

C2-8A is a contextual, low-density Local Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.

C2-8A is a contextual, low-density Local Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City. It allows commercial uses, and generally also housing under the rules of a residential-equivalent district. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 10 and the maximum commercial FAR is 2. 101 tax lots citywide carry C2-8A as their primary zoning designation.

This designation's recorded stock runs tall for its scale: 37% of buildings rise above 6 floors, on a median of 5 stories, across roughly 100 tax lots citywide. The age mix is moderately prewar (64% predate 1940, median year 1925), with 16% built since 2000, and 70% of lots carry recorded floor area below their allowance — a median residual of 5.9 FAR.

What actually stands in this district

Building height is the standout figure in this designation's records: 37% of recorded buildings rise above 6 floors, and the median across roughly 100 tax lots citywide is already 5 stories — a taller recorded profile than most comparably sized designations covered here. That height sits on an age base that is moderately old rather than dominated by any one era: a median construction year of 1925, with 64% of buildings predating 1940, a majority but not an overwhelming one. Few designations of similar scale profiled here combine this much height with this middling an age profile.

Recent construction has a real presence here: 16% of buildings have gone up since 2000, against 10% from the 1945-1975 postwar boom — recent decades have added more than the boom era did. Recorded building classes are led by elevator apartment buildings at 27%, mixed residential-commercial buildings at 19%, and walk-up apartment buildings at 18%, consistent with a taller, more mixed-use stock than a purely low-rise designation would show on its records. The elevator-building lead in particular tracks with the height figures above — this is not a walk-up-dominated designation.

By land use, mixed residential-and-commercial parcels dominate at 67%, with commercial-and-office parcels at 13% and multi-family elevator buildings at 8%. Residential lots make up 77% of the total, and the records count 5,916 homes — a large figure relative to the roughly 100 lots involved. Lots run to a median of 3,150 square feet, with a 90th percentile of 14,651 square feet, larger than the typical lot in several comparably sized designations, a spread that leaves room for a wider range of building footprints than the medians alone would suggest. Together, the lot sizes and the height figures above describe a designation built at real scale rather than at the margins.

Development headroom is recorded on 70% of lots, with a median residual of 5.9 FAR — a meaningful recorded gap given how much height is already built on the ground. None of these lots are recorded inside a designated historic district or the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, both at 0%, so neither landmark review nor floodplain rules add to what the zoning map alone governs. Any given lot's specific FAR and height allowances are cited, with their governing sections, in the rules tables above.

Bulk rules for C2-8A

Context	Residential FAR	Commercial FAR	Community facility FAR	Max lot coverage	Heights	Citation
As of rightResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C2-8; C2-8A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	10	2	10	80%	—	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22
As of right — narrow streetResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C2-8; C2-8A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	10	2	10	80%	Base 60–125 ft · Max 185 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432 footnote 2, § 23-431
As of right — wide streetResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C2-8; C2-8A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	10	2	10	80%	Base 125–155 ft · Max 215 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432 footnote 1, § 23-431
Qualifying affordable housingResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C2-8; C2-8A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	12	2	10	80%	Max 235 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22
Qualifying affordable housing — narrow streetResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C2-8; C2-8A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	12	2	10	80%	Base 60–155 ft · Max 235 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432 footnote 2, § 23-431
Qualifying affordable housing — wide streetResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C2-8; C2-8A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	12	2	10	80%	Base 125–155 ft · Max 235 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432 footnote 1, § 23-431

Values from the NYC Zoning Resolution, verified 2026-06-12; site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify them — run a full lookup for a specific lot.

About commercial districts

Commercial districts allow retail, office, and service uses, and most also allow housing under the rules of a residential-equivalent district. Commercial bulk is governed by § 33- of the NYC Zoning Resolution.

Contextual districts pair their floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights so new buildings mirror existing neighborhood form; non-contextual districts govern the envelope through more general height and setback rules, such as sky exposure planes. Commercial districts also allow residences under the rules of a residential-equivalent district, while manufacturing districts generally exclude new residences. Overlays and special purpose districts can modify any of this on a specific lot.

Example lots zoned C2-8A

1660 2 Avenue — 62,965 sq ft lot, 10.97 built FAR, built 1964
1538 3 Avenue — 28,535 sq ft lot, 11.88 built FAR, built 1991
240 East 86 Street — 16,347 sq ft lot, 16.39 built FAR, built 1998
1524 3 Avenue — 44,425 sq ft lot, 14.66 built FAR, built 1967
205 East 85 Street — 20,426 sq ft lot, 13.94 built FAR, built 2007
1659 2 Avenue — 25,177 sq ft lot, 14.43 built FAR, built 1970
201 East 86 Street — 10,315 sq ft lot, 24.9 built FAR, built 1986
316 3 Avenue — 14,516 sq ft lot, 19.67 built FAR, built 2006
290 3 Avenue — 6,660 sq ft lot, 27.21 built FAR, built 1990
1533 Third Avenue — 12,300 sq ft lot, 16.19 built FAR, built 1991
280 3 Avenue — 4,950 sq ft lot, 18.13 built FAR, built 2012
152 East 87 Street — 13,013 sq ft lot, 11.91 built FAR, built 2018

Browse all 101 lots zoned C2-8A →

C2-8A — quick questions

What is the maximum residential FAR in C2-8A?: 10, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
What is the maximum commercial FAR in C2-8A?: 2, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C2-8A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
Is C2-8A a contextual district?: Yes. C2-8A is a contextual district — its bulk rules pair floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights intended to mirror existing neighborhood form.
Are buildings on these lots taller than average?: Yes: 37% of recorded buildings rise above 6 floors, with a median of 5 stories — a taller profile than most comparably sized designations.
How much of the recent construction here dates from after 2000?: 16% of buildings have gone up since 2000, more than the 10% recorded from the 1945-1975 postwar boom.
What does the land-use mix look like for this designation?: Mixed residential-and-commercial parcels dominate at 67%, with commercial-and-office parcels at 13%. Residential lots make up 77% of the total, holding 5,916 recorded homes.
How big are lots carrying this designation?: A median of 3,150 square feet, with a 90th percentile of 14,651 square feet, across roughly 100 tax lots citywide.
Is there recorded room to add floor area on these lots?: Yes: 70% of lots carry recorded floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 5.9 FAR. Neither historic-district nor flood-zone coverage applies — both sit at 0%.

Keep learning

What do the C2-8A rules mean for a specific lot?

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District data: NYC municipal records (Department of City Planning) and the NYC Zoning Resolution. See our sources and methodology. Parcel data as of 2026-07-11.